Time is a tricky thing. Ask any elementary schooler, and they’ll tell you the school year stretches on forever, an eternity of snack times, spelling tests, and recess victories.

But parents? We know better. One moment they’re teetering into kindergarten with a backpack bigger than they are, and before you know it, they’re swapping missing baby teeth for braces and glasses.

Let’s be honest—school picture day has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute, you’re packing lunches and rushing out the door, and the next, you're realizing your kid is about to be immortalized in a photo with bedhead and a cereal milk mustache. As a photographer, I want you to love these photos, not just tolerate them.

While I encourage each child to act naturally and authentically, the following are a few of the basic poses I use during Better Than School Portraits, children’s fine art portrait mini sessions, to create a time capsule for parents to look back on forever.

When I first started school portrait photography, I took a test shot of my son in our garage. I loved how the light hit his cheeks and his gaze off in the distance showed his inquisitiveness. What I didn’t realize, however, was how I’d feel just a few years later about this test image I had taken.

As our kids move into elementary school and beyond, some start to need glasses. Quickly, they become a part of who our child is... I truly get it, my own son wears glasses, and he simply doesn't look like himself without them.

You’ve seen the heart-melting images. You’ve heard the buzz. And now you’re wondering: Is my little one ready for Better Than School Portraits? Whether you’re a sentimental mom eager to start a new tradition or simply hoping to capture your child’s personality before they grow another inch, this post is here to help.

While your child’s personality will be the focus of these boutique fine art portraits, what your child wears can enhance and bring life to their portraits. Just like good lighting flatters the skin, well-chosen clothing can highlight your child’s features and help them look their best.

School portraits have become a time honored tradition. Wouldn’t it be nice if those yearly photos were worthy of hanging on your walls? Better Than School Portraits are time capsules that capture more than a single cheesy grin. They are an opportunity to put your child in the limelight and freeze those quickly changing stages of each age.